Bioactive peptides from beans with the potential to decrease the risk of developing noncommunicable chronic diseases.

Several studies have demonstrated that peptides obtained from the proteins of different bean species have the potential to act on therapeutic targets of noncommunicable chronic diseases or NCDs. However, peptides with great structural diversity can be obtained from the hydrolysis of proteins present in foods. Therefore, the present review had the objective of identifying, in silico, the possibility of obtaining peptides with potential biological activity from the storage globulin proteins of the bean species Phaseolus vulgaris (L.), Vigna angularis (Willd.), Vigna radiata (L.) and Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., using the UniProtKB, BIOPEP and PeptideRanker databases, as well as reviewing available research reports that showed evidence bioactive properties of peptides obtained from beans via in vitro assays. For all the species studied, the highest frequency of the occurrence of bioactive fragments was found for the inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV, followed by the inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme and by antioxidant activity. The inhibition of the two enzymes is the therapeutic target of drugs used for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and for hypertension, respectively, while the antioxidant activity can prevent the development of several chronic diseases related to oxidative stress.

Physicochemical properties of cassava starch oxidized by sodium hypochlorite.

In this work, cassava starch was modified by treatment with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) at different concentrations (0.8, 2.0 and 5.0 % of active chlorine) and selected physicochemical properties of the oxidized starches were investigated. The native and modified samples were evaluated considering moisture, carboxyl content, apparent viscosity, susceptibility to syneresis, mid-infrared spectroscopy and crystallinity index. The treatment with NaClO resulted in alterations in carboxyl content of the oxidized starches that increased with increasing concentration of the oxidant. Oxidized starches also showed higher susceptibility to syneresis, as assessed by the release of liquid during freezing and thawing. Apparent viscosity analysis showed decrease in peak viscosity of the oxidized starches. X-ray diffractograms showed that the oxidation influenced the extent of cassava starch relative crystallinity found to lie between 34.4 % (native) and 39.9 % (2.0 % active chlorine). The infrared spectra are sensitive to structural changes on starch macromolecules and presented characteristic peaks as C-O-C of the six carbon glucose ring absorbs at 1,150-1,085 cm(-1) and due to axial deformation these bands changed with the crystal structure of the starch samples.

Impact of germination and enzymatic hydrolysis of cowpea bean (Vigna unguiculata) on the generation of peptides capable of inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase IV.

The objective of this work was to determine the impact of germination of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), combined with enzymatic hydrolysis on the generation of bioactive peptides with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibition activity and antioxidant capacity. Germination (25°C, up to 48h) and alcalase hydrolysis (up to 4h) significantly increased antioxidant capacity of cowpea proteins from 293.4 to 993.7µmol TE/g soluble protein (SP). The non-germinated and 1h alcalase hydrolysates showed the highest DPP-IV inhibition (IC50=0.58mgSP/mL), after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Selected peptides in the hydrolysates were analyzed by computational modeling. The TTAGLLE peptide interacted with S2 (GLU205, GLU206) and S3 (SER209, ARG358, PHE357) pockets of DPP-IV, and it is expected to inhibit DPP-IV by blocking its active site. Cowpea short time germination (24h) and alcalase protein hydrolysis (1h) can be used to produce ingredients with high antioxidant capacity and DPP-IV inhibition.